Speed-responsive fuel-control means for internal-combustion engines



Sept. 25, 1951 w H DU SHANE 2,568,912

SPEED-RESPONSIVE FUEL-CONTROL MEANS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 12, 1949 INVENTOR. WALLACE H 01/ SHANE A T TOR/V5 Y p 1951 w H. DU SHANE 2,568,912

SPEED-RESPONIVE FUEL-CONTROL MEANS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed May 12, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. WALLACE H. DU SHANE Patented Sept. 25, 1951' SPEED RESPONSIVE FUEL CONTROL MEANS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Wallace H. Du Shane, Waterloo, Iowa, assignor to Deere Manufacturing 00., Dubuque, Iowa, a

corporation of Iowa Application May 12, 1949, Serial No. 92,928

This invention relates to a speed-responsive means for controlling the fuel supply in an inter nal-combustion engine and more .particularly to a control means for a diesel engine.

The invention contemplates and has for its principal object the provision of improved means for controlling or regulating the supply of fuel to an internal-combustion engine in operating conditions between no load and maximum horse power and including further provision for the increase of fuel beyond the maximum horse power condition to improve the lugging characteristics of the engine. In this respect, the invention is particularly applicable to a diesel engine, in which the increase in volumetric efficiency at full load and below rated speed is not as pronounced as that in a volatile mixture engine under the same conditions. Primarily, the invention aims to provide for the regulation of an increased fuel supply so that the engine may deliver the desired increased torque at loads which tend to pull the engine under rated speed.

Other objects of the invention are to provide: A simple and inexpensive control mechanism: one that may be easily adjusted; one that may be readily installed on engines of certain existing types; and mechanism comprising relatively few moving parts that may be readily interrelated with certain known types of speed-responsive means.

The foregoing and other important objects and desirable features ofthe invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as a preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in detail in the following specification and accompanying sheets of drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the control means as related to the governor and the fuel injection pump of a diesel'engine of a known type, the levers being shown at the positions they occupy when the engine is operating under full load;

Figure 2 is a sectional view similar to that shown in Figure 1, with the intermediate portions of the figure omitted and showing the position of the control levers when in no load or fast idle position.

Figure 3 is a similar view but showing the positions of the levers when the fuel supply has been increased so that the engine may deliver maximum torque;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 4; and

8 Claims. (opus-123) Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

The reference numeral l0 designates generally a portion of a diesel engine which provides compartments for containing fuel supply means, here in the form of a pair of fuel injection pumps l2. These .pumps may be of any conventional construction, such as any of the well known types in which fuel is regulated by adjusting the stroke of the fuel-injection plunger. In the present instance, the means for accomplishing this adiustment is a fuel supply or fuel control member 14 preferably comprising a plurality of coaxially arranged members I 6, I8, 20 and 22 which are interconnected by joints at 24, 26 and 28. all practical purposes, the elements comprising the member l4 may be considered one, the arrangement shown being a preferred construction in which the joints 24, 26 and 28 compensate for slight misalinement of the pumps l2.

The supporting structure Ill includes at one side thereof an aperture 30 in which is fixed a sleeve 32 that surrounds the part I6 of the fuel control member l4. The sleeve 32 is associated with an apertured wall 34 in a housing or casing 36. The housing 36 is secured to or forms a part of the supporting structure of the engine. The general arrangement may, of course, be other than that illustrated.

The casing 36 houses a governor or speedresponsivemeans designated generally by the numeral 38. This means is operated by a rotating part, such as a gear 40, which is connected to and which represents the speed of the lnternal-com- 7 bustion engine to which the invention is applied.

The governor or speed-responsive means 38 comprises a gear 42 which is in constant mesh with the gear 40 and which is carried on a shaft 44 for rotation in the housing 38 by means of bearings 46 and 48 spaced coaxially of the shaft. A collar and bearing assembly 50 is axially shiftable on the shaft 44 and is so movable in response to weight means 52 pivoted at 54 to the gear 42.

The weights 52 act through the collar and bearing assembly 50 to influence the movement of a first lever 56 which is fixed, as by a pair of cap screws 58, to a rockshaft 60 which extends transversely or normal to the rotating axis of the governor shaft 44. The axis of the shaft 60 is fixed; that is, it is not displaceable, even though the shaft 60 is rotatable or angularly movable. This axis provides a main pivot axis for the control assembly. The rockshaft 60 has fixed thereto, as by a cap screw 62, an arm 64 which is associated with a governor spring 66 For.

3 and governor control rod 66. The rod 66 extends through or is surrounded by the spring 66 and the spring is compressed between the arm 64 and a nut and washer assembly III. The other end of the rod 66-which is broken off in the drawingsmay be connected in any conventional manner to appropriate manual control means. For all practical purposes, the rod 66 may be assumed to -be fixed to the supporting structure or to some other structure rigid therewith, since manual adjustment of the rod 66 is not particularly concerned with the present invention.

The speed-responsive means or governor 66 comprising essentially the elements 62 and 66, operates, like any other governor, in response to speed variations of the engine. In the present case, the governor influences the action of the lever 66; that is to say, the weights 52 and spring 66 oppose each other to maintain equilibrium of the lever 56, the weights operating to shift the lever about the main axis at 6,6 in a clockwise direction and the spring 66 operating to swing the lever in the oposite direction about the axis at 66, these directions corresponding respectively to fuel decrease and fuel increase so that the fuel injection pumps I 2 are regulated by the fuel control member I6 and an interconnection that will be presently described.

The lever 56 extends from the axis at 66 generally as a radius thereof and is provided at its outer or free end with a pair of transversely spaced apart ears I2 which accommodate a transverse pin I6. This pin provides a secondary pivot or joint for articulately connecting one end of a second lever I6 to the lever 56. As best shown in Figure 5, the lower end of the lever I6 is provided with a loop I6 through which the pin I6 passes. The lever I6 normally extends generally as an extension or elongation of the lever 66 and has an outer or free end portion 66. In the present instance, the portion 66 is provided as a separate member which is spot welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the lever portion I6.

The free end of the lever I6 is provided with adjustable means in the form of a screw 62 and lock nut 64. This screw provides part of a stop or limit means, another part of which is formed by a projection 66 on the governor housing 66. As will appear hereinafter in greater detail, the stop 66 provides means for limiting the upper or free end of the lever I6 in the direction of fuel increase (to the left).

A portion of the lever I6 intermediate its ends I6 and 66 includes provision for connection of the lever to the fuel control member I6. For this purpose, an intermediate portion of the lever "I6 is provided with a loop 66 (Figure 5) which receives a pivot pin 66. One end of the pin has fixed thereto an element 92 which is U-shaped as viewed from above and which has a pair of apertured legs through which a reduced end portion 96 of the fuel control I4 passes to be secured by a pin 96. The structure just described provides a pivotal interconnection between the lever I6 and the fuel control member I6 so that movement of one eflfects movement of the other.

Since the lever I6 is in turn pivotally connected to the lever 56, movement of the latter will, of course, aflect the former in a manner to be presently set forth.

As previously stated, the governor spring 66 is operative to bias the lever 56 for swinging in a counterclockwise direction, or in a.direction that will effect fuel increase (to the left). The

right-hand end of the fuel control member I4, as constituted by the part 22, is associated with a light compression spring 96 which reacts against a wall I60 forming part of the supporting structure III. A pin I62 centers the spring 66 so that it is coaxial with the fuel control member or rod II. The spring 98 provides biasing means operative to urge the fuel control member I6 to the left or in the direction of fuel increase. Since the member I4 is connected to the lever I6, the spring 96 has its biasing effect transmitted to the lever I6. It will be noted that the springs 66 and 66 are not inopposition to each other but rather are in parallel, the importance of which will be presently referred to.

The upper or free end of the lever 66 is provided with an extension or lug I66 which is effective to engage one side of the lever I6, thus constituting a one-way force-transmitting connection between the two levers. As will be readily observed, the engagement of the extension I64 with the lever I6 rigidifles the two levers at least to the extent that the two levers move as one in a clockwise direction about the main pivot axis at 6Il-or in the direction of fuel decrease (to the right). This relationship will be apparent from an examinationof Figure 2.

Operation The "no load" or fast idle" position of the control mechanism is illustrated in Figure 2. In this position, the fuel control or governor rod 66 has been shifted so that the lever 66 has moved through its maximum angular clockwise distance, the extension or lug I66 causing the lever 16 and the fuel control member II to be moved the maximum distance to the right, thus cutting off fuel completely from the fuel injection pumps I2. When the engine is started, the rod 66 is shifted to a new position so that the fuel control member Il may be shifted back and forth in opposite directions of fuel increase and fuel decrease through a normal range influenced by the governor in response to variations in engine speeds. The positions of the levers I6 and 66 as shown in Figure 1 represent a condition in which the engine is operating at rated speed and at full load. This condition is predetermined at the factory and represents a condition of fuel supply in which the fuel supply member I6 is shifted to the left to a point determined by preadjustment of the stop means 62-66, which point is below or less than the maximum available fuel supply condition. This point is determined on the'basis of the engine characteristics so that the engine delivers maximum horse power at rated speed.

The engine characteristics just referred to would, in the absence of some such provision as that made by the present invention, be fixed by the governor; and, when the lever I6 reached its maximum position as determined by the stop 6266, increased fuel would not be available. Hence, temporary overloading of the engine beyond a point at which the engine could deliver additional torque because of increased volumetric efficiency at lower speeds would cause the engine to stall, because the increase in volumetric efficiency, particularly in a diesel engine, is relatively slight. However, according to the present invention, provision is made for an increase in the fuel supply so that the engine is capable of delivering desired increased torque which will enable it to lug out the overload, under conditions in which the overload is not too great, or which,

in any event, will give the. engine, increased power through a sufficient extent to enable the engine operator to lighten the load.

This characteristic of the control or interrelating means is effected as follows: When the two levers 56 and 16, moving as one in a counterclockwise direction about .the pivot at 60, encounter the stop established at 82-86, the engine will be operated at maximum horse power at rated speed. Now, if the engine is subjected to overload, the speed falls off further and the governor weights 52 collapse still further, whereupon the governor spring 66 may influence further counterclockwise movement of the lever 56 about the pivot at 60. Since the free or upper end of the lever 16 is stopped at 8286, the stop now serves-as a fulcrum about which the lever 16 may pivot. The lower end of the lever I6 is, of course, connected to the upper end of the lever 56 by means of the pivot 14; and continued counterclockwise swinging of the lever 56 effects swinging of the lower portionof the lever 16 and consequently shifts and fuel control member l4 a slight additional distance to the left, or in the direction of fuel increase. This additional fuel supply enables. the engine to deliver desired increased torque according to its design.

During operation of the engine under. normal conditions, the levers 56 and 16 move as one, in the direction of fuel decrease (clockwise about the Pivot 60) because of the interengagement of the extension I04 with the intermediate portion of the lever 16. Movement of the control member M in the direction of fuel decrease is against the bias set up by the light compression spring 98.

The levers 56 and 16 move as one in the opposite,

direction-until the stop 82-86 is eifectedbecause the spring 98 biases the fuel control member l4 and hence the lever 16 against the forcetransmitting connection provided at I04, thus causing the lever 16 to follow the lever 56 to the left or in the direction of fuel increase. When the stop 82-86 is effected, the lever 16 does not merely pivot at 90 but is caused to fulcrum at' 86,

- because the bias of the spring 98 is to the left through the-fuel control member l4. The connection or interengagement at I04 is thus yieldable or separable as the levers 56 and 16 move relatively to reach the position of Figure 3.

After the load is lightened and the engine again speeds up, the lever 56 moves again to the right and again picks up the lever 16 for operation of the engine under normal conditions.

Summary It will be seen from the foregoing that the improved control mechanism operates eifectively to give the results outlined above; that is, it controls the engine operation under normal conditions and yet has provision for increased fuel supply under overload conditions. The differential action of the levers 56 and 16 includes a relatively long lever arm (between 60 and 90) for operation of the fuel control member under normal conditions and a relatively short lever arm (between 82 and 90) for operation of the fuel control member i4 under overload conditions. The construction is relatively simple and involves a provision for adjustment at 82-84 so that the full load characteristics of the engine may be easily obtained by the control means. The arrangement is such that the control may be readily adapted to engines of at least one known type.

Other important objects and desirable features of the invention not specifically enumerated 6 above will undoubtedly Occur to those versed in the art, as likewise will numerous modifications and alterations in the preferred construction illustrated, all of which may be achieved without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1'. Control mechanism for interrelating the adjustable fuel supply means and the speed-responsive means of an internal-combustion engine, comprising: a first lever; means including a main, fixed pivot axis for mounting the lever for swinging in opposite directions of speed decrease and speed increase under the influence of the speedresponsive means; a second lever articulateiy joined at one end to the first lever by means providing a second pivot axis spaced from and generally parallel to the main pivot, said second lever extending from the first lever generally as an elongation of said first lever and having a free end spaced from the second pivot so that said second pivot is intermediate said free end and the main pivot, said second lever further including means intermediate said free end and said second pivot providing for engagement of the second lever with the fuel supply means to effect adjustment of said fuel supply means in responseto movement of said second lever; means yieldably rigidifying the articulate connection between the levers so that the two may swing as one about the main pivot in opposite directions to incur fuel increase and fuel decrease respectively in response to speed decrease and speed increase; and means engageable with the free end of the second lever, upon movement of said levers as one in the direction of fuel increase, to establish a temporary fuel increase limit at a predtermined point below available fuel increase, and to thereby incur yielding of the rigidifying means for effecting articulation of the levers about the second pivot so that the first lever may continue to swing about the main pivot in the direction of speed decrease and will incur swinging of the second lever, about the limit means as a fulcrum, further in the direction of fuel increase beyond said predetermined point.

2. Control mechanism for interrelating the adjustable fuel supply means and the speed-responsive means of an internal-combustion engine, comprising: a first lever; means including a main. fixed pivot axis for mounting the lever for swinging in opposite directions of speed decrease and speed increase under the influence of the speedresponsive means; a second lever articulateiy joined at one end to the first lever by means providing a second pivot axis spaced from and generally parallel to the main pivot, said second lever extending from the first lever generally as an elongation of said first lever and having a free end spaced from the second pivot so that said second pivot is intermediate said free end and the main pivot, said second lever further including means intermediate said free end and said second pivot providing for' engagement of the second levcr with the fuel supply means to effect adjustment of said fuel supply means in response to movement of said second lever; force-transmitting means rigid on one of the levers and engageable with the other of the levers to provided a one-way force-transmitting connection so that the two levers move as one about the main axis in the direction of fuel decrease in response to speed increase, said connection providing for articulation of the levers about the second pivot in the opposite direction; means acting on the second lever to bias said second lever against the force-transmitting means so that said second lever follows the first lever in the direction of fuel increase in response to speed decrease; and means engageable with the free and of the second lever, upon movement thereof by the first lever and biasing means in the direction of fuel increase, to establish a temporary fuel increase limit at a predetermined point below available fuel increase, and to thereby incur articulation of the levers about said second pivot as the first lever continues to swing about the main axis in the direction of speed decrease, thus incurring swinging of the second lever about the limit means as a fulcrum in the direction of fuel increase beyond said predetermined point.

3. Control mechanism for interrelating the adjustable fuel supply means and the speed-responsive means of an internal-combustion engine, comprising: a first lever; means including a main, fixed pivot axis for mounting the lever for swinging in opposite directions of speed decrease and speed increase under the influence of the -responsive means; a second lever articulately joined at one end to the first lever by means providing a second pivot axis spaced from and generally parallel to the main pivot, said second lever extending from the first lever generally as an elongation of said first lever and having a free end spaced from the second pivot so that said second pivot is intermediate said free end and the main pivot, said second lever further including means intermediate said free end and said second pivot providing for engagement of the second lever with the fuel supply means to effect adjustment of said fuel supply means in response to movement of said second lever; means including a step portion rigid on the first lever and projecting past the second pivot to engage one side of the second lever so that movement of the first lever about the main axis causes movement of the second lever in the same direction, and providing for articulation of the levers about the second pivot upon movement of the first lever about the main axis in the direction of speed decrease; means acting on the second lever to bias said second lever against the stop portion so that articulation of the levers is resisted; and means engageable with the free end of the second lever, upon movement thereof by the first lever and biasing means in the direction of fuel increase, to establish a temporary fuel increase limit at a predetermined point below available fuel increase, and to thereby incur articulation of the levers about said second pivot as the first lever continues to swing about the main axis in the direction of speed decrease, thus incurring swinging of the second lever about the limit means as a fulcrum in the direction of fuel increase beyond said predetermined point.

4. In an internal-combustion engine having speed-responsive means and fuel supply means including a member shiftable in opposite directions of fuel increase and fuelfiecrease: means interrelating the speed-responsive means and the shiftable member, comprising a first lever pivoted lever after predetermined movement of said other end thereof with the shiftable member in the direction of fuel increase; means interengageable between the levers to cause the two to move as one in the direction of fuel decrease but providing for relative movement of the levers in the direction of fuel increaseaft'er the second lever engages the stop means; and means biasing the second lever in the direction of fuel increase and in opposition to said interengageable means.

5. In an internal-combustion engine having supporting structure, speed-responsive means and fuel supply means including a member shiftable in opposite directions of fuel increase and fuel decrease: means interrelating the speed-responsive means and the shiftable member, comprising a first lever pivoted at one end on the supporting structure on a main fixed pivot for swinging in opposite directions under the infiuence of the speed-mponsive device; a second lever pivoted intermediate its ends to the shiftable member and having one end adjacent the free end of the first lever; means providing a second pivot interconnecting said one end of the second lever and the free end of the first lever; stop means associated with the supporting structure and arranged to engage the other end of the second lever after predetermined movement of said other end thereof with the shiftable member in the direction of fuel increase; means interengageable between the levers to cause the two to move as one in the direction of fuel decrease but providing for relative movement of the levers in the direction of fuel increase after the second lever engages the stop means; and means acting between the supporting structure and the second lever and biasing the second lever in the at one end on a main fixed pivot for swinging in direction of fuel increase and in opposition to said interengageable means.

8. In an internal-combustion engine having supporting structure and including a fuel supply member shiftable in opposite directions of fuel increase and fuel decrease and further including a speed-responsive device of the type having spring means opposing weight means: means interrelating the fuel supply member and the speed-responsive means, comprising a first lever pivoted at one end on the supporting structure on a main, fixed pivot axis for swinging in one direction for fuel increase in response to the spring means and in the opposite direction of fuel decrease in response to the weight means; a second lever pivoted to the first lever by means providing a secondary pivot axis, said second lever being arranged generally as an extension of the first lever and having a free end; means intermediate the second pivot axis and the free end of the second lever providing for connection of the second lever to the fuel supply member; stop means associated with the supporting structure and arranged to engage the free end of the second lever after predetermined movement thereof with the fuel supply member in the direction of fuel increase; one-way means rigidifying the two levers at the second pivot axis for movement of the two as one in the direction of fuel decrease; and biasing means separate from and cooperative with the speed-responsive spring means and influencing the second lever in the direction of fuel increase so that the two levers move as one in the direction of fuel increase until the second lever encounters the stop means, said levers then having relative movement about said second pivot axis in the direction of fuel increase 9 for further movement or the fuel supply member in the drection of fuel increase.

7. In an internal-combustion engine having supporting structure and including a fuel supply member shiftable in opposite directions of fuel increase and fuel decrease and further including a speed-responsive device of the type having spring means opposing weight means: means interrelating the fuel supply 'member and the speed-responsive means, comprising a first lever pivoted at one end on the supporting structure on a main, fixed pivot axis for swinging in one direction for fuel increase in response to the spring means and in the opposite direction of fuel decrease in response to the weight means; a second lever pivoted to the first lever by means pro,- viding a. secondary pivot axis, said second lever being arranged generally'as an extension of the first lever and having a free end; means intermediate the second pivot axis and the free end of the second lever providing for connection of the second lever to the fuel supply member; stop means associated with the supporting structure and arranged to engage the free end of the second lever after predetermined movement thereof with the fuel supply member in the direction of fuel increase; one-way means rigidifying the two levers at the second pivot axis for movement of the two as one in the direction of fuel decrease; and biasing means acting between the supporting structure and the second lever and in parallel with the speed-responsive spring means and infiuencing the second lever in the direction of fuel increase so that the two levers move as one in the direction of fuel increase until the second lever encounters the stop means. said levers then having relative movement about said second pivot axis in the direction of fuel increase for further movement of the fuel supply member in the direction of fuel increase. I

8. In an internal-combustion engine having supporting structure and including a fuel supply member shiftable in opposite directions of fuel increase and fuel decrease and further including a speed-responsive device of the type having spring means opposing weight means: means interrelating the fuel supply member and the speedresponsive means, comprising a first lever pivoted at one end on the supporting structure on a. main, fixed pivot axis for swinging in one direction for fuel increase in response to the spring means and in the opposite direction of fuel decrease in response to the weight means; a second lever pivoted to the first lever by means providing a secondary pivot axis, said second lever being arranged generally as an extension of the first lever and having a free end; means intermediate the second pivot axis and the free end of the second lever providing for connection of the second lever to the fuel supply member; means acting against the fuel supply member for biasing said member in the direction of fuel increase; stop means associated with the supporting structure for limiting movement of the free end of the second lever in the direction of fuel increase; and a one-way connection between said levers and supplementing said second pivot means to cause the two levers to-move as one in the direction of fuel decrease and in opposition to said biasing means, said one-way connection being yieldable in the opposite direction to provide for relative movement of the levers about the second pivot axis in the direction of fuel increase after the free end of the second lever engages the stop means.

WALLACE H. DU SHANE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,259,693 Hogeman Oct. 21, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 555,362 Great Britain Aug. 19, 1943 

